Sehwag ruled out of ODI series

Sehwag has been ruled out of the One-Day International series against South Africa after sustaining shoulder injury.

DURBAN: Indian batsman Virender Sehwag has been ruled out of the One-Day International series against South Africa after sustaining a shoulder injury but will still be playing the final Test this Sunday.

The five one-dayers against South Africa will start from January 12, and will serve as India’s preparation before the World Cup. Rohit Sharma will be replacing the opener, who has previously missed two previous Twenty20s due to shoulder problems. Murali Vijay has been added to the squad.

Meanwhile, MS Dhoni has welcomed playing the decisive third and final Test in Cape Town on a lively pitch after India’s win in the second Test, which ensured that they would retain their number one ranking in Test cricket irrespective of the result in the final Test. But Dhoni said the ranking was not something which depended on a single victory.

“We started this process in September 2008 and we can say that in two years we have done well in most of the places where we’ve played.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 31^st, 2010.